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How the climate crisis is affecting Pacific islanders' health



 By Jayvee Vallejera

 

For a country formed by 29 atolls scattered across the Western Pacific, the Marshall Islands is particularly vulnerable to the scourge of climate change—rising sea levels, saltwater contamination and uninhabitable islands. The U.S. Geological Survey projects that some of the Marshall Islands will be underwater by 2035 if nothing is done to check this crisis.


Yet dire as these events are, it’s not just about the earth getting hotter. A new report also blames this crisis for its negative effect on people's health.


Increasingly, the constant flooding caused by rising sea levels, coupled with increasingly erratic weather, is having a waterfall effect on the lives of people in the Pacific.


This point is made clear in a new report that the Te Poutoko Ora A Kiwa (Center for Pacific and Global Health) at the University of Auckland and the Centre for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation will launch at the Pacific Medical Association headquarters on Nov. 28.


The report, titled "Sustainability and Resilience in Pacific Island Health Systems," was motivated by a shared commitment to strengthening health systems and improving population health in the Pacific region, with a focus on the Marshall Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.


One of the report’s authors, Sir Collin Tukuitonga, associate dean at the University of Auckland, said the report shed light on the unique developmental challenges faced by Pacific island countries and territories and what could be done to help them.


"With small population groups scattered across vast distances, the Pacific islands face several unique and interconnected developmental challenges, including unreliable and expensive transport, small and fragile economies and vulnerability to climate change," he said.


The report evaluated the health systems in Pacific island nations across seven areas, but its examination of the impacts of the climate change crisis underscores the interconnectedness of the many issues that plague the region.


This is illustrated by what’s happening in the Marshall Islands due to water and food security challenges.


Most Marshallese rely on the sea for food sustenance, but the increasingly acidic nature of seawater drives fish elsewhere, creating a shortage of fresh seafood. As a result, several residents are compelled to buy imported processed food, to which health experts attribute the rising incidence of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems and cancer in the nation.


The report also notes that saltwater intrusion, when saltwater from the ocean intrudes and mixes with freshwater sources, also makes it difficult for people to access clean, potable water. “[This] remains an important public health threat to children in [the Marshall Islands],” the report notes.



The Marshall Islands is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate crises. Its atolls have an average altitude of just over 2 meters above sea level. The country is severely impacted by coastline erosion, storm surges, and changing rainfall patterns due to rising sea levels and global temperatures. It is also vulnerable to drought, tropical storms, typhoons and king tides.


Tonga and Vanuatu are also experiencing a number of adverse weather events, a well-established consequence of climate change, the report said.


Tonga was severely impacted by a volcanic eruption and tsunami in early 2022, forcing the evacuation of some communities to other islands.


Vanuatu is also highly vulnerable to both weather-related and geophysical natural disasters. It is regularly affected by tropical cyclones, volcanic activity, and severe weather events and is often listed as the most at-risk nation by the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report.


Faced with the existential threat of climate change, Pacific island nations are working together to address the issue at national, regional and global levels, the report said.


It noted that regional cooperation has allowed the voices of these small island nations to be amplified and heard on the world stage.


The Niue Declaration on Climate Change, adopted in 2008 by the Pacific Islands Forum, called for urgent action by Forum members, development partners, and regional and global organizations to reduce emissions and support adaptation in the Pacific region.


“The declaration has played a crucial role in raising awareness of the vulnerabilities of [Pacific nations] due to climate change and advocating for increasing support,” the report said.


In May 2018, regional health leaders launched the Pacific Islands Action Plan on Climate Change and Health. The plan’s vision is that by 2030, all health systems in the Pacific will be resilient to climate variability and change.


The Cleaner Pacific 2025 strategy also provides a blueprint to improve waste management and pollution.


At the national level, several Pacific island nations have established comprehensive policies and commitments to mitigate emissions, enhance adaptation measures, and boost resilience within their communities. Both Vanuatu and Palau have already adopted a national policy governing climate change.


Notably, in 2015, the Marshall Islands committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent by 2025, making it the first Pacific island nation to make such a commitment. In 2018, it unveiled its 2050 Climate Strategy, outlining a path to achieve net-zero emissions and renewable energy adoption.


However, the report noted that Fiji is the only Pacific nation with a climate-related health plan, which includes the creation of a climate change and health unit within its health ministry. It identifies and monitors vulnerable communities, increases access to health products and services, and invests in climate-resilient buildings, among other actions.


The World Health Organization has backed the Fijian health ministry by assessing a total of 205 healthcare facilities there to identify the most at-risk facilities that must be prioritized for upgrades or relocation.


The 15th Pacific Health Ministers Meeting had recommended using the Fijian example to “inform country-level initiatives, starting by evaluating health care facility resilience,” the report said.


Inspired by this, several countries, including the Marshal Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu, are using their findings to bolster their health systems and disaster preparedness.


The report notes that countries around the world are also making greater strides to address climate change.


That includes global agreements to limit greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and setting up a mechanism for raising money that would allow developing countries to implement climate-resilient and low-emission development strategies.


The report notes that Pacific leaders have also consistently lobbied for the world’s main polluters to recognize and acknowledge the loss and damages they have caused to island communities—as a matter of fairness and social justice.


After years of advocacy, these concerns have recently gained recognition, with the UN Conference of the Parties in 2023 establishing a dedicated “Loss and Damage” fund for vulnerable countries hit hard by floods, droughts, and other climate disasters, the report said.





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